The City of Winnipeg announced on Monday July 22, 2019 that they are at an impasse in negotiations with the transit union.

“While the ATU continues to demand more of taxpayers and passengers, they have not proposed any concessions of their own and have not identified or proposed any lower priority items they feel can be negotiated in exchange for items they feel are higher priority items,” said Michael Jack, Chief Corporate Services Officer. 

According to Jack the city’s latest offer on July 3, 2019 was rejected out right by the transit union and was not taken to its membership.

The city claims that the transit unions latest counter offer sent to the city on Thursday, July 18, 2019, was just a repackaged version of earlier proposals.

Jack say that the cost of the counter proposal to taxpayers would be about $50 million over the next four years. He went on to say that to fund that would require a significant tax and/or fare increase.

“After reviewing ATU’s counter proposal, it has become abundantly clear that they have no interest in reaching a negotiated settlement with the City of Winnipeg,” said Jack. “After more than six months of negotiating, they did not include a proposal on general wage increases. Instead, they asked to continue discussing it, which at this stage of negotiating is arguably in bad faith and a clear signal that the ATU intends to strike.”

The city says that the ATU is in a legal strike position and the city will consider all options available to them under the labour Relations Act.

Jack said “Unfortunately, a strike initiated by ATU in September is now more likely than ever when they know it will be most disruptive to passengers and residents.”

The transit unions collective agreement with the city expired in January of 2019.

© News4.ca 2020